Exhaust apparatus for fuel cell system

Abstract

An exhaust apparatus for a fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell for receiving air containing oxygen at a cathode and for receiving a fuel gas containing hydrogen at an anode, and for executing a power generation. An exhaust pipe exhausts air from the cathode side and a purge pipe exhausts fuel gas from the anode side. A manifold confluence connects the exhaust pipe and the purge pipe, while a muffler is arranged on a downstream side of the manifold. An upstream side of the exhaust pipe is supported by a vehicle body floor and a downstream side is supported by a subframe. A confluence connecting portion of the purge pipe exhausts used fuel gas containing hydrogen. The exhaust pipe is disposed generally uniformly along a surface that generally is parallel with the ground.

1 . An exhaust apparatus for a fuel cell system comprising:
 a fuel cell for receiving air containing oxygen at a cathode, and for receiving a fuel gas containing hydrogen at an anode, and executing a power generation;   a main exhaust pipe connected to the cathode side of said fuel cell for exhausting the used air;   a purge pipe connected to the anode side of said fuel cell for exhausting the used fuel gas;   a manifold for confluence-connecting said main exhaust pipe and said purge pipe; and   a muffler arranged on a downstream side of said manifold,   wherein an exhaust pipe is assembled with an upstream side supported by a vehicle body floor, a downstream side supported by a subframe, and including a confluence connecting portion of said purge pipe which comprises a part of said upstream side for exhausting the used fuel gas containing the hydrogen gas, wherein the exhaust pipe is disposed essentially uniformly along a surface that is generally parallel with a ground within a range from said confluence connecting portion to a downstream side opening serving as said downstream side or to the downstream side that is lower than said parallel surface.   
   
   
       2 . The exhaust apparatus for the fuel cell system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an emergency exhaust pipe for emergency exhaustion of the unused fuel gas containing the hydrogen gas, wherein said emergency exhaust pipe is confluence-connected to said exhaust pipe within a range from said confluence connecting portion to said downstream side opening, and said muffler is arranged on the downstream side of said exhaust pipe. 
   
   
       3 . The exhaust apparatus for the fuel cell system according to  claim 1 , wherein said muffler is constructed so that with respect to a surface thereof which faces and is close to the ground, a space between an inner tube and an outer tube of the muffler is set to a minimum value or zero and said inner tube is connected to said exhaust pipe. 
   
   
       4 . The exhaust apparatus for the fuel cell system according to  claim 1 , wherein said exhaust pipe is provided so that a downstream side portion including said confluence connecting portion of said emergency exhaust pipe and said muffler is formed divisionally from an upstream side portion, wherein said upstream side portion and said downstream side portion are coupled by a hose so that they can be divided, and said downstream side portion and said emergency exhaust pipe are provided to be supported by said subframe.